Watseka awards Sewer Separation Project bid to Iroquois Paving Corp.

The City Council (Tuesday) approved the much-talked about project, awarding the underground and paving portion of the planned work to Iroquois Paving Corporation.Although financing for the project has been questioned, the council agreed it's time to get the work done.

The Council had reviewed the original bids after the engineer's estimate for the work was listed at $1.2 million. Earlier in the month, bids for the work came in at $1.7 and $1.9 million. Both bids were rejected with the Council choosing to separate the planned work detail; one for underground work and the other for paving. A re-bid process resulted in Iroquois Paving Corporation being awarded the project.

Mayor Bob Harwood says the mid-town portion of this project will have to be re-evaluated.

The hope is, the Council will have a better idea for funding for the mid-town portion of the project by the Spring of 2014.

The Mayor adds, this work is a must to avoid big-time future problems.